Hamlet's Elsinore Revisited
The author's sources of knowledge about Elsinore and Denmark
1st Edition
Published on 30. November 2018
Book
Paperback/Softback
164 pages
978-3-933077-57-8 (ISBN)
Description
How could so much knowledge about Denmark and Danish circumstances find its way into the drama about 'Hamlet Prince of Denmark'? For many researchers (as we shall see as we proceed) this has been a pivotal question, but one that have given different answers. We have sought to apply the same approach and found that Polonius has been a key figure in this respect.
Polonius, the man from Poland, is an important character in the drama about "Hamlet, Prince of Denmark". He was an adviser close to the Danish king Claudius and besides he was the father of Ophelia with whom Hamlet had an intimate relation. Several scholars have speculated as to the real identity of Polonius and wondered if it is possible to recognise a role model. The main purpose of this book is to follow the tracks to the primary sources and reveal the true person hiding behind the name of the character. Is it possible to decide whom the name Polonius refers to and to trace the relevant sources of information in this respect? We shall offer evidence that the name Polonius refers to Henrik Ramel (ca 1550-1610), "Hofmeister" to Frederik II of Denmark. We shall together discover the relevant fingerprints in this case and follow the
lines of communication to and from England. We shall even widen the perspective and discuss why the scene is set at the Danish court. These are so far the main research questions. Nevertheless, by way of deduction, another question becomes relevant: Who could have had access to the communication? This problem cannot be discussed without raising the authorship question. Who was inspired by the old myth about Amleth? Who wrote 'Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'?
Polonius, the man from Poland, is an important character in the drama about "Hamlet, Prince of Denmark". He was an adviser close to the Danish king Claudius and besides he was the father of Ophelia with whom Hamlet had an intimate relation. Several scholars have speculated as to the real identity of Polonius and wondered if it is possible to recognise a role model. The main purpose of this book is to follow the tracks to the primary sources and reveal the true person hiding behind the name of the character. Is it possible to decide whom the name Polonius refers to and to trace the relevant sources of information in this respect? We shall offer evidence that the name Polonius refers to Henrik Ramel (ca 1550-1610), "Hofmeister" to Frederik II of Denmark. We shall together discover the relevant fingerprints in this case and follow the
lines of communication to and from England. We shall even widen the perspective and discuss why the scene is set at the Danish court. These are so far the main research questions. Nevertheless, by way of deduction, another question becomes relevant: Who could have had access to the communication? This problem cannot be discussed without raising the authorship question. Who was inspired by the old myth about Amleth? Who wrote 'Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'?
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Persons
Author
Sten F. Vedi (1937-2018) grew up in Norway. He has graduated in English language and literature, political science and history at the Universities of Bergen and Oslo. He has a Ph. D. from the University of Sheffield. For shorter periods he taught history at the Universities of Bergen and Trondheim, while holding other positions at those universities. He has worked as a University librarian at the University of Trondheim and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, before taking up a position as Associate Professor at the Department of Cultural Studies at Lund University in Sweden. Since retiring from the university, he took a deliberate decision to indulge in different areas of knowledge.
Gerold Wagner was born in Styria in 1932, Austria; grown up and school leaving exam in Burghausen, Bavaria; studied and received a classics and linguistics degree at University of Graz (MA in 1960, PhD in 1967); professional career as school teacher (and private tutor) of classics in Graz; enjoys life-long devotion to classics, history and humanities comprising Latin Grammar, history of the Late Bronze Age and migration of the Sea Peoples, decipherment of Linear B, late insertions in the gospels, history of astronomy, and the Shakespeare authorship question.
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